Trump on Clinton: ‘She lies like crazy’

Just three candidates took the stage for Saturday night’s third Democratic presidential debate, in what many saw as a critical moment for the contenders before their first state contests in Iowa and New Hampshire begin.Goffstown, NH–As the third Democratic debate faded to a five-minute commercial break, Hillary Clinton had exactly one minute and 45 seconds to walk out of the gymnasium at St.Hillary Clinton communications director Jennifer Palmieri struggled Sunday to defend her boss’ claim that videos of Donald Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric were being used as recruitment tools for the Islamic State.The campaign of Democratic Party hopeful Bernie Sanders is not holding back their criticism of ABC News’s debate moderators David Muir and Martha Raddatz and their choice of topics for the final Democratic debate of 2015.

Mindful of the grassroots support she’ll need to fuel a general election bid should she capture the nomination, Clinton accepted his apology, instead, keeping her criticism carefully aimed at her GOP rivals — particularly businessman Donald Trump. “I’m very clear that we have a distinct difference between those of us on this stage tonight and all of our Republican counterparts,” she said, in her opening remarks. “We have to prevent the Republicans from rolling back the progress that we’ve made.” Clinton’s brush-off of the data breach controversy underscores her confidence in a race in which Sanders is struggling to regain momentum as it shifts away from an economic message — the core of his campaign — to one over national security, because of terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California. Appearing on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Palmieri appeared uncomfortable backing Clinton’s claim at Saturday’s debate that fact-checkers from the New York Post and PolitiFact have debunked. “Um, the uh, uh, you know, Donald Trump, I think, was talking–uh, you know, what Secretary Clinton was saying last night is that one of the many dangerous things about Donald Trump is that, uh, his hot rhetoric, saying we shouldn’t allow Muslim refugees into the country, is being used, and this is something that [an international group] has, who monitors social media and uh, on ISIS, has said –” she said before Stephanopoulos cut in. “Well, what they have said is that they are using him — he is being used in social media by ISIS as propaganda,” Palmieri said, sounding almost out of breath. “She didn’t have a particular video in mind, but he’s being used in social media, and uh, you know, what they haven’t found is the video Mr. Sanders’ pledge to avoid personal attacks in favor of policy disputes has seemed to frustrate his aides at times, who have occasionally gone on the offensive on their own. In a new fundraising email signed by liberal author and environmental activist Bill McKibben, they called the debate topics “a disappointment for anyone who cares about the future of the planet.” Last night’s Democratic debate was a disappointment for anyone who cares about the future of our planet. According to the Washington Post, the Clinton campaign backed up the candidate’s claim by referencing a quote from Rita Katz, the executive director of the SITE Intelligence Group. “They love him from the sense that he is supporting their rhetoric,” she told NBC News earlier this month. “They follow everything Donald Trump says.

After an historic climate summit in Paris, it is unconscionable that the moderators of last night’s debate — as well as the Republican debate — didn’t ask a single question about climate change. When he says, ‘No Muslims should be allowed in America,’ they tell people, ‘We told you America hates Muslims and here is proof.’” However, Katz was speaking specifically of social media. The topic, which Sanders has blamed in the past for the rise of terrorism around the world, was mentioned only twice; once by Sanders in his opening statement and once by former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley in his closing statement. But on Saturday, the ABC News hosts, tied to the schedule of live TV, proceeded with their questioning about the economy with an empty podium awaiting Mrs. His aides came out swinging on Friday after revelations that their staffers stole some of Clinton’s voter data, using a clumsy response by the Democratic National Committee to charge party leaders with favoritism and insinuate that her campaign also lifted some of their information.

Indeed, Katz told the Post, “ISIS didn’t feature Trump in a video, but ISIS supporters and recruiters have used Trump’s rhetoric to promote ISIS’ ideas and agenda.” “If you go back and look at social media, if you look at what’s going on, they are definitely pointing at Mr. Clinton said. “That there is some kind of Western plot or even war against Islam, which then, I believe, fans the flames of radicalization.” For Sanders, Clinton’s main competitor, little has changed from his previous stance on what he calls “establishment politics and establishment economics” and the nation’s “rigged economy.” Americans are more anxious about terrorism than income inequality. Instead, he chose to forgo the political opportunity, just as he did in the first debate when he dismissed controversy over Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of state.

When his claim about a video showing “thousands and thousands” of Muslims celebrating 9/11 was debunked weeks ago, Trump dug in his heels on the assertion about “plenty of people cheering.” He repeated that position Sunday. The campaign’s vice chairwoman, Huma Abedin, had timed the distance to and from the podium and expressed concerns to organizers, but the gymnasium setting meant there were no closer options. Asked about IS recruitment videos, he told ABC: “She just made it up.” So, it seems likely that the first part of Clinton’s claim—that Trump is “ISIS’s best recruiter”—is at least partly true.

But it also highlights the organizational challenges Sanders faces as he tries to turn an insurgent candidacy into a campaign that can topple a world famous political celebrity with a solid double-digit lead. They’re not putting him in videos, though. (Not yet, at least.) Which is to say: there’s no need to make things up when the truth is as awful as it is. The topic of security and ISIS, which was the main focus on the most recent G.O.P debate following the San Bernardino shooting and Paris attacks, came as less of a priority in this debate, which largely discussed income inequality and domestic policy. “I’m running for president because I’m going to create an economy that works for working families, not just a handful of billionaires,” Sanders said. Clinton, so focused on defeating the Republicans, had, perhaps, decided to watch the primary debate from a Manchester bar, with a row of glistening ladies’ rooms nearby.

His aides believe that wins in those two states would give them momentum heading into the next contests in South Carolina and Nevada, territory where he’s struggled to gain traction over the former first lady. Clinton, who has been accused of being more open to Wall Street vote, defended herself, insisting that she wants to speak for all Americans. “I have said that I want to be the president for the struggling, the striving, and the successful,” she said. Sanders’ campaign has successfully turned grassroots energy into a sizable war chest, announcing last week that it had received 2 million contributions — a milestone only matched by President Barack Obama in his re-election campaign. Martin O’Malley, who has fallen far behind Sanders and Clinton in public opinion polls and fundraising, strove to stand out, blaming Clinton and Sanders for failing to push for more restrictive gun control measures. “ISIL training videos are telling lone wolves the easiest way to buy a combat assault weapon in America is at a gun show, and it’s because of the flip-flopping political approach of Washington that both of my two colleagues on the stage have represented there for the last 40 years,” O’Malley said.